Cumulative text presents the animals and plants of the tropical rain forest and their relationship with one another and their environment.

Set in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, this lyrical rhyming tale introduces young readers to some of the coral reef's most striking residents. From the sleek shark to the colorful parrotfish to the deceptively beautiful sea anemone, each creature in this abundant undersea world relies on another for its existence. Beginning with coral, the very element that defines this ecosystem, Madeleine Dunphy uses a cumulative approach, combining simple yet forceful verse with repetition to reveal the fragile chain that links each of the plants and animals in this unique environment. Tom Leonard's vibrant paintings capture this miraculous circle of life.

Here Is the Wetland

by Madeleine Dunphy

Published 1 October 1996
The wetland is a murky, moist, and mysterious world. Atop its glittering surface and beneath its shadowy depths, birds, bass, minks, and muskrats struggle to survive and flourish. Madeleine Dunphy's lyrical prose shows the relationships between the wetland's plants and animals, giving young readers a clear picture of how each living creature depends on the others for survival. Illustrator Wayne McLoughlin adds stunning visuals, with luminous, detailed paintings that convey the fragile beauty and complexity of this critically important ecological community.